101 Dalmatians (1996 film)
101 Dalmatians is a 1996 live-action film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a remake of the 1961 animated film of the same name (which was based on Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians). It stars Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil and Jeff Daniels as Roger. Pongo, Perdita, and the 99 puppies are all played by real-life Dalmatian actors in this version, unlike in the 1961 animated version. 102 Dalmatians was released in 2000 as its theatrical sequel. Plot Roger (Jeff Daniels) is an American computer game designer who shares his home in London with his pet Dalmatian, Pongo. One day Roger takes Pongo for a walk, and the dog sets his eyes on a beautiful female Dalmatian named Perdy. After a frantic chase through the streets of London, Roger and Pongo discover Perdy likes Pongo, and Perdy's owner, fashion designer Anita (Joely Richardson), is taken with Roger when they meet in St. James Park. Romance blossoms between both human and canine couples and Roger and Anita walk down the aisle. Anita works for Cruella de Vil (Glenn Close), a sexy fashion maven with a great love for cigarettes and fur. Anita becomes inspired by her dogs and designs a fur coat made with spotted fur, causing Cruella to leap on the idea of making garments out of actual Dalmatians. When Cruella learns that Perdy has given birth to fifteen Dalmatian puppies she offers the couple a decent price for the newborn puppies, but the couple refuses. Flying into a maniacal rage, she fires Anita and vows to get even. She has her henchmen Jasper and Horace (Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams) steal the puppies and deliver them to her ancient estate De Vil Mansion. With the help of the other dogs and animals scattered throughout London, the puppies manage to outwit Jasper and Horace and escape to a farm where their parents have been called to wait. But shortly after, Cruella shows up and tries to retrieve them; she ends up having a pig sit on her and fart in her face, after which she falls into a vat of molasses by raccoons and is kicked into a pig pen by a horse. All of the Dalmatians get home by the Metropolitan Police Service, who then arrest Cruella and her henchmen. The family adopts the other Dalmatians Cruella stole, bringing the total to 101. Roger designs a successful video game featuring dalmatian puppies as the heroes and Cruella as the villain, and they move to the English countryside (possibly DeVil Mansion, repainted to have Dalmatian spots) with the money earned from the game where Roger and Anita have a baby daughter. A year later after their daughter is born, Anita tells Roger that she has the most wonderful news as the credits role. Although Anita's news isn't heard, but it hints that she is pregnant again. Cast * Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil * Jeff Daniels as Roger * Joely Richardson as Anita * Joan Plowright as Nanny * Hugh Laurie as Jasper * Mark Williams as Horace * John Shrapnel as Skinner * Tim McInnerny as Alonzo Trivia * Cruella de Vil's car is a Panther De Ville. * The video game Roger creates at the end of the movie was actually released under the title Escape From Devil Manor where the mine cart was the final level. * Patch was featured in one of the film's official posters but never really appeared in the movie. Release 101 Dalmatians was released on VHS on April 15, 1997 and on a bare-bones DVD on December 12, 2000. Due to the high sales of the 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition DVD, Disney re-released the live action film on September 16, 2008 in the US. Reception The film performed well at the Box Office, earning $136,189,294 in the US and $184,500,000 overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $320,689,294. Close's performance, as well as her sex appeal as Cruella DeVil, was universally praised. External links * 101 Dalmatians: The sets * 101 Dalmatians at the Internet Movie Database Category:Movies